1973-1974 Deputy treasurer, John Glenn for U.S. Senate campaign in Columbus.

1974-1983 Executive assistant, U.S. ...

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Kathy Prosser Bovard career and life

1968 Graduated from Timken Vocational High School1973-1974 Deputy treasurer, John Glenn for U.S. Senate campaign in Columbus.1974-1983 Executive assistant, U.S. Sen. John Glenn in Washington, D.C.1983-1984 Scheduling director, John Glenn for President in Washington, D.C.1983-1985 Chief of staff, U.S. Sen. John Glenn in Washington, D.C.1986 Lobbyist, Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government in Washington, D.C.1987 Graduated from Harvard University with a master's degree in public administration1987-1988 Deputy director, Mid-Career Master in Public Administration program at Harvard1988-1989 Deputy commissioner, Massachusetts Department of Environment in Boston1989-1996 Commissioner, Indiana Department of Environment1996-1997 U.S. secretary, International Joint Commission in Washington, D.C.1997-1999 President and CEO, The Keystone Center in Keystone, Colo.2000-2006 President and CEO, Conservancy of Southwest Florida in Naples, Fla.2010 Opened art studio in Chapel Hill, N.C.

Editor's note: This is the latest in our "Where Are They Now" series that catches up on people who at one time were featured in the pages of The Repository. Have an idea for us to pursue? Email newsroom@cantonrep.com.

The storied career of Canton native Kathy Prosser Bovard has taken her from Canton City Hall to Washington D.C., Harvard and nearly every region of the United States as she charted a path from politics to painting.

Her story starts with a "fabulous" shorthand and typing teacher at Timken Vocational High School, one of the many mentors Bovard credits for her success since she graduated in 1968.

Using her clerical abilities, Bovard, who had been working at a Canton law office, followed a co-worker to City Hall where she was a secretary before moving to Columbus.

"It was really my skills that allowed me be to hired in those jobs," Bovard said.

She was working for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources when her boss decided to return to Canton and run for city attorney. Bovard decided to stay in Columbus, so her supervisor introduced her to someone looking for a secretary.

"And that's when I met John and Annie Glenn," Bovard said.

WORKING FOR JOHN GLENN

Bovard, then in her early 20s, recalled getting the job after a brief interview at the former astronaut's home. She later worked on John Glenn's 1974 U.S. Senate campaign and became his executive assistant in Washington, D.C. When Glenn ran for president in 1984, Bovard took over as his chief of staff while the former chief led the presidential campaign.

It was an "exciting, difficult time," Bovard recalled. She was disappointed when he lost, but kept her focus on the future.

"While that was very valuable experience for me, I really wanted to go and make my own way," she said.

At age 35, Bovard became a lobbyist for Harvard University, recruiting members of Congress to the Ivy League institution and placing students in congressional positions. After legislation passed that restricted Congress' ability to fund training and education, Bovard, who never completed her bachelor's degree, was invited to attend Harvard's master's degree program in public administration.

It was one of the rare instances where the university accepted people into graduate school without an undergraduate degree, Bovard told The Repository in 1988.

"They took into consideration my work background and experience in public administration and accepted that in lieu of a degree," she said in The Repository article.

She went on to work as deputy director of the Harvard master's program and at various environmental organizations such as: Deputy commissioner at the Massachusetts Department of Environment, commissioner at the Indiana Department of Environment, U.S. secretary of the International Joint Commission in Washington D.C., president and CEO of the Keystone Center in Colorado and president and CEO of the Conservancy of Southwest Florida.

Page 2 of 2 - Bovard said she saw her work an opportunity to help shape environmental policy, which was still developing when she started in the field.

"I really felt the need to get involved in an issue with which I had passion," she said.

RETIREMENT

Bovard retired and moved to Colorado after she met Gary Bovard while visiting family in Fort Collins.

"One year, I came out and my brother had a cocktail party to introduce me to a fellow who lived across the street from him," she said. "And that was that. We were married four or five months later."

The Bovards, who married in 2005, then moved to Chapel Hill, N.C. where Kathy Bovard decided she wanted to do more than golf in retirement.

Art was the answer, specifically watercolor painting. She taught herself to paint five years ago and opened a studio shortly in 2010.

"I now have a small business that is just kind of evolving now where I do commission work, and I love it," said the 63 year old who offers weekly art instruction at her studio and teaches English as a second language to area children.

Bovard said the key to success is to "believe in yourself" and identifying mentors who can help along the way.

"I really like to think that I serve as hopefully an example of someone who started out with a vocational high school education, but a darn good one at Timken, and was lucky enough to be in the right places at the right time and to use my skills," she said.